The National High School Game Academy (NHSGA) facilitates focused, passionate, and dedicated high school students to experience six weeks of video game development using current gaming industry best practices. Sharing methods and paradigms used in Carnegie Mellon's Masters of Entertainment Technology (M.E.T.) graduate program, the NHSGA teaches an innovative blend of hands-on team projects combined with in-depth traditional classwork, lecture, and discussion to “level up” a student’s skills and design thinking. The program culminates with each team creating an original game prototype which often serves as a portfolio-quality piece for the student’s college application. Every student accepted to the program can expect to contribute to every area of game development while maintaining their faculty-defined role on a multidisciplinary team. The summer begins with two weeks of intense class study. As a verification of competence, individual and team homework is assigned and evaluated as the student progresses through the curriculum. Students must demonstrate a viable set of skills and methodologies in order to advance to the team game-building phase of the program. It is essential that each team member is willing and able to fully contribute to the game-building process. With a curriculum designed to elevate a student’s rigor, working process, and discipline, the NHSGA prepares students for their transition to college. Students are encouraged to expand their own creative possibilities in a unique blend of collaborative college-level work.

Despite the cold, we still have birds that make their home here during the winter season. Learn about these birds, play a fun game of bird bingo & create a bird feeder to take home!

Students become game designers as they build their very own arcade that doubles as an escape room experience.

Students become game designers as they build their very own arcade that doubles as an escape room experience.

Don't just solve the puzzle-create it! Campers become Game Masters, designing hidden clues, secret compartments, and logic riddles to build the ultimate escape room challenge.

This program provides a unique opportunity for students interested in design, art and visual communication to build their portfolios while working with university faculty in a highly creative and enriching design and visual art school environment. The program offers valuable foundation coursework to students interested in digital imaging, graphic and interactive design, architecture and interior design, photography and video, illustration and animation, foundations of game design, 3D model making, and more. Students who have completed the program in a prior year are assigned advanced projects.

Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy (EGE) goes beyond what most pre-college entrepreneurship programs teach. Participants not only learn practical skills, like writing a business plan or how to pitch an idea, but also about the economic principles that make successful entrepreneurship possible. To build a business, an entrepreneur must understand incentives and the role institutions, like government, play in setting the “rules of the game”.

This program provides a unique opportunity for students interested in design, art and visual communication to build their portfolios while working with university faculty in a highly creative and enriching design and visual art school environment. The program offers valuable foundation coursework to students interested in digital imaging, graphic and interactive design, architecture and interior design, photography and video, illustration and animation, foundations of game design, 3D model making, and more. Students who have completed the program in a prior year are assigned advanced projects.

Learn how to design Super Mario Bros. levels like a pro!

Learn how to design Super Mario Bros. levels like a pro!

Become a STEM innovator! The Maryville Coding Camp offers a week-long full day program crafted to enhance students' understanding of coding and its applications in the contemporary world. 

Carnival Camp is a bright, energetic program designed for elementary-aged campers who love games, creativity, and playful fun. Throughout the week, campers experience the excitement of a classic carnival through hands-on activities, themed crafts, and interactive challenges. Activities may include designing carnival booths, making fun decorations, creating simple prizes, learning juggling or balance tricks, and playing a variety of carnival-style games. Campers may also try STEM-based game-building challenges, teamwork relays, and creative art projects inspired by the colorful world of carnivals. Each day brings a new theme or activity that encourages imagination, cooperation, problem-solving, and active play.

Make This Summer a Smart Move for Your Child! Looking for a fun, educational, and screen-free activity for your child? Our Chess Summer Camps in Saint Louis offer the perfect mix of learning and excitement! Whether your child is new to the game or already a budding chess strategist, our camps provide expert instruction in a supportive, hands-on environment.

Make This Summer a Smart Move for Your Child! Looking for a fun, educational, and screen-free activity for your child? Our Chess Summer Camps in Saint Louis offer the perfect mix of learning and excitement! Whether your child is new to the game or already a budding chess strategist, our camps provide expert instruction in a supportive, hands-on environment.

Make This Summer a Smart Move for Your Child! Looking for a fun, educational, and screen-free activity for your child? Our Chess Summer Camps in Saint Louis offer the perfect mix of learning and excitement! Whether your child is new to the game or already a budding chess strategist, our camps provide expert instruction in a supportive, hands-on environment.